


Widofjord Prompt Collection

by SociallyAwkwardFox



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Cuddling & Snuggling, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Near Death Experiences, Platonic Relationships, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-17
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:21:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 15,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22286284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SociallyAwkwardFox/pseuds/SociallyAwkwardFox
Summary: A collection of Widofjord prompt fills.
Relationships: Fjord/Caleb Widogast
Comments: 22
Kudos: 131





	1. “I don’t wanna be alone right now.”

His body moved on autopilot as Caleb went through the motions of preparing for bed-kicking off his boots, removing his coat, shrugging out of his book holster and gently placing it on the desk. A spark of flame from his fingertips lit the solitary candle in the corner of the room casting just enough light to prevent tripping and landing on his face. He eyed the bed wearily, then looked down at his bloodstained hands and dropped into the lone chair. The blood looked almost black-long ago dried to the point it flaked when he clenched his hands into fists.

When he shut his eyes, Beau's pained face greeted him. The monster tearing into her side, blood splattering across the cave, a piercing scream filling the air. If they hadn't gotten separated from the others because of his clumsiness, she wouldn't have nearly died to save him. She shouldn't have taken the hit for him in the first place, but Beau wouldn't listen to him about that. Beau never listened to him when he told her to stop being reckless for him. She was too reckless for her own good. Too brave. Too caring.

A firm knock on the door cast her abnormally pale face from his mind, but he didn't move to answer it. If he waited long enough, whoever it was would go away-or they would become more determined to get in. When they knocked once more, Caleb rose from the chair to stand close enough to the door he could open it if he needed to. He'd just reach out with his hand stained in Beau's blood and turn the doorknob.

“Caleb, are you in there? Nott said she saw you come up here.” He held his breath as the seconds dragged on, then Fjord spoke again. “Can you please let me know if you're in there?”

“Ja, I'm here.”

“Good, good. Are you, uh... Would you mind if I came in for a bit? Just to talk. “

While Fjord wouldn't push if Caleb told him no, his fingers itched to turn the doorknob and let the half-orc in the room. Tentatively, he opened up the door to find Fjord standing on the other side without his armor on. He looked purposefully relaxed, like he'd just gotten out of a bath and planned on relaxing for the night. There was no way that's what he planned to do when he stood at Caleb's door, but he put on that front to calm Caleb. Presenting a front to help the others was a habit of Fjord's that Caleb had picked up on only a few days after meeting him.

“Come in.”

As soon as Fjord stepped through the door, he shut it behind him and took a look around the room. His eyes landed on Caleb's haphazardly discarded clothing, then flicked to Caleb with the same calm expression. Eyebrows wrinkled together when his searching gaze landed on the hands he'd forgotten to hide behind his back. Before Caleb could do anything about it, Fjord cut the space between them to take them in his larger ones. A thumb brushed over the dried substance.

“Let's get you cleaned up.”

“It's fine.”

Fjord's fingers tightened slightly when he tried to pull away-just enough to keep him there, not enough to force him. “Stop punishing yourself for something that wasn't your fault. It could have happened to anyone.”

“Beauregard nearly died because I was clumsy.”

“She'd punch you if she heard you saying that. If you hadn't fallen down there, someone else would have. It was bound to give way.”

“She nearly died.” He had her blood on his hands-too much blood. “It's a good thing Cad got to us in time. I wouldn't have been able to help her.”

“You did. I know you were too spaced out to hear him, but Cad said she would have died if you hadn't done what you did. She saved your life because she knows she can trust you with hers.”

“She shouldn't.”

“That's not your decision to make.”

“I know. That doesn't..."

When the words wouldn't come, Fjord gently led him out of the room to the washroom at the end of the hall. With more care than Caleb deserved, careful hands cleaned the blood from his hands until the slide of water down them ran clear. He followed the half-orc back down the hall to his room, then took a seat on the edge of the bed when Fjord guided him there rather than the chair. Instead of joining him or standing over him, he knelt in front of Caleb and kept his hands wrapped up by his.

“That's better. Don't you think?”

“Better.”

“Caleb, you can't keep beating yourself up over this. You've done the same for her in the past. I know that doesn't make it better, but she didn't throw herself between you and that thing for no reason. Even though she doesn't say it, she loves you and hates seeing you hurt. She thought she could take it, but she was wrong. It's not your fault.”

“You're right. Beau has never said that.”

A soft chuckle fell from Fjord's lips. “We're working on it. At this rate, she might tell one of us in about forty years, unless she gets drunk. It might happen sooner if we ask her while she's drunk.”

“She'd deny it.”

“We all know she's a softy at heart. The way you two act are proof of that. If I didn't know better, I'd think the two of you were siblings.”

“Don't let her hear you say that.”

“She'd only fight me on that one a little bit.” As Caleb rolled his eye, a yawn slipped from his lips that caused another chuckle from Fjord. “You need rest. Do you think you'll be able to sleep?”

“I, uh... I don’t want be alone right now. Frumpkin is still, you know, and Nott wanted to have a girl's night.”

“Cay, just relax and take a deep breath. Let me tell Cad he'll have the room to himself tonight and I'll be right back. Promise.”

Before Fjord exited the room, Caleb called out to him. “Fjord, thank you.”

“I'm always here for you, Cay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos always greatly appreciated. You can find me on Tumblr ([SociallyAwkwardFoxWriter](http://sociallyawkwardfoxwriter.tumblr.com/)).


	2. “I think your hair looks just fine.”

“This is ridiculous. I look ridiculous.”

“How is that different from normal?”

Beau ignored his glare in favor of tossing another blueberry into the air to catch in her mouth rather than eat them like a normal person. “Can you take this a little more seriously? We're about to be honored in front of royalty. The last thing we need to do is make bigger fools out of ourselves than we already have. I still don't know how we managed to get here instead of a prison cell. Let's not push our luck.”

“I'm not the one you should be worried about.”

“I always have to worry about you when other people are involved.”

“Hey! I'm getting better.”

“You have, and I'm very proud of you.”

“Thank you. Now, go back to pretending you're worried about what the royalty thinks about your looks. We all know who you're really worried about.”

“As soon as I told you, I knew it was going to come back to bite me in the ass. How long do you plan on using that against me?”

“I'm not using it against you. It's just the truth." Beau rolled off the bed to join him by the mirror, then shot out a hand to ruffle his hair too quickly for him to stop her. "Do you really think he's going to care how your clothes look and whether your hair looks perfect?”

“That doesn't mean I shouldn't put in the effort to look good.”

“If you want to get his attention, then talk to him about books or spells or whatever. It's not that difficult. Compliment his cat or something.”

“I already do that.”

“Then I have a crazy idea. Why don't you make it clear that you want to get into his pants?”

A hard elbow to the side didn't even cause Beau to flinch or look the least bit pained. “Damn it, Beau. I don't wanna get into his pants.”

“It sounded like it the other day.”

“I don't only wanna get into his pants. I'm looking for something more than a quick roll in the sheets. You know that.”

“Yeah, but it's fun to see you get all embarrassed over Caleb. You know he's like my brother, right? It's my job to make this as difficult as possible for you.”

“That doesn't sound right.”

“Pretty sure it is.” Beau fluffed his hair again, then jumped out of reach of the fist he swung at her in retaliation. “How else am I supposed to be sure you're serious about this?”

“I know you're serious about Jester without making fun of your gigantic crush on her.”

“I don't know what you're talking about.”

“Liar.”

Before Fjord could duck out of the way, Beau wrapped him in a headlock and started messing with his hair relentlessly. As he tried to pull free of her grasp, the door to his room suddenly opened. Caleb stepped into the room and quickly shut the door behind him, then leaned back against it with a relieved sigh. When he noticed the two of them in the middle of the room, his head tipped curiously to the side.

“Am I interrupting something?”

Beau shoved him away as she straightened up and smoothed her clothing down to look presentable. “No. Who are you running from?”

“Uh, it is nothing important. Just someone I'd rather to avoid striking up a conversation with.”

“Do you always burst into Fjord's room whenever you like? He could've been indecent.”

“We've traveled together long enough that nothing is indecent.”

“Fair point.” After grabbing her sash off the bed, Beau placed a hand on Caleb's shoulder as she made her way out of the room. “I'm going to check on Jester to make sure she's ready.”

“Good luck. The last I checked, Jess and Nott were in the middle of plotting.”

“Thanks for the warning.”

The moment the door clicked shut behind her, Caleb turned his attention back to Fjord with a raised eyebrow. With a strangled cough, Fjord straightened up and ran a hair through his hair in the hopes it would rest flat. A glance in the mirror told him those effort amounted in nothing more than getting it all to stick up in one direction.

“I think your hair looks fine.” Heat filled his cheeks as Caleb moved to stand next to him, then reached out to runs his fingers through Fjord's hair. “But, I can help get it back the way you had it before Beauregard messed with it.”

“If you think it looks fine, I'll leave it alone. There's no need to fuss about it.”

“Are you nervous?”

“No, there's no reason to be. We already did the hard part.”

The fingers in his hair slid down to gently cup his jaw as Caleb's eyebrows wrinkled up in obvious concern. “Are you sure? You seem... off. Is there something else concerning you?”

“Nothing's wrong. I just have something on my mind.”

“If you want to talk about it, I am a very good listener.”

“That's very kind of you.” He nervously ran his fingers through his hair, then immediately dropped it when he realized what he was doing. “I appreciate you telling me that.”

“Am I making you nervous?”

His heart thudded loudly in his chest at the puzzle pieces slowly clicking into place for the wizard standing before him. With a shuddering breath, Fjord throw all hope of redirecting out the window as he placed his hands on Caleb's waist to draw him closer. Those intelligent eyes he'd slowly fallen in love with searched his for confirmation that he understood correctly. Fjord dipped his head down to bring their lips so close they were almost brushing, then hesitated.

“Can I kiss you?”

“Ja.”

Their lips connecting didn't set off fireworks or make his world turn upside down, like one of Jester's novels. It did feel like something slotting into place that sent a pleasant warmth through his body. When Caleb pressed up onto his toes to bring their bodies closer together, a pleased rumble rolled through his chest. A soft laughter broke the kiss as Caleb pulled away letting his hands still linger on Fjord's face.

“We should go. It would be rude to be late.”

“Right. We'll pick this up later?”

As Caleb let his hands drop, he stepped back with a small smile quirking up the corners of his lips. “Later.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos always greatly appreciated. You can find me on Tumblr ([SociallyAwkwardFoxWriter](http://sociallyawkwardfoxwriter.tumblr.com/)).


	3. “Scoot over. I wanna sit next to you.”

The bitter chill of the winter wind pierced through his coat had him shiver to fight against the cold temperature. Even the heat of the fire did little to fight against the drop in temperature as the sun disappeared below the horizon. Nott pressed close against his side as she tugged a blanket tighter around their bodies. In return, Caleb rubbed a hand along her side to help keep her even a little warmer.

“I hate the cold.” Nott burrowed closer to him and deeper into the blankets, until she nearly disappeared from view. “This is almost the worst.”

With a snap of his fingers, Frumpkin appeared on top of Nott's head, then burrowed beneath the blankets into her lap. As if sensing Frumpkin's appearance, Beau wandered over to join their pile with her a couple of blankets of her own to contribute. Their shoulders bumped together as Nott got squished between their two larger bodies without any complaints. If anything, she seemed pleased by the additional body heat and protection from the wind.

“How many days until we get to the city?”

“Assuming we are able to continue at the same pace, three days.”

“Fuck.” A frustrated sigh came from Beau and she crossed her arms over her chest in annoyance. “Why didn't we take them up on the offer to stay a few days?”

“The weather would be worse in a few days. It's a good thing we got moving as soon as we did. We should-”

An excited noise broke his sentence short, then they nearly got knocked over like dominoes when Jester jammed against Beau's side. “Oh, are we doing a cuddle pile! I want to join. Beau don't hog all the blankets.”

While Beau and Jester shuffled about to rearrange some of the blankets, the other members of their party slowly filtered over. Yasha wordlessly slid in next to Jester with her sword leaning against the log next to her. After distributing still steaming tea to everyone, Caduceus took a seat next to Caleb. He leaned comfortably back against the log with his tea cupped in his hands and his blanket hanging loosely around his shoulders.

“Scoot over. I wanna sit next to you.” The playful look on Fjord's face shifted to a sincere smile as he held up a few more blankets. “Mind if I squeeze in here, Cad?”

“Not at all.”

“Thank you.”

Once Fjord settled the blankets around them, he shifted to wrap an arm around Caleb's shoulder that ended up bumping into Beau's head. She lifted it up to glare at the half-orc, then dropped her head onto Jester's shoulder instead. When he glanced over at Fjord, the warlock simply shrugged and pressed himself tighter against Caleb. The warmth of Fjord's body finally caused the shivering to subside as heat now came from all sides.

“Better?”

“Ja, thank you. How are you feeling?”

“I'd rather be holed up in an inn for the night, but it could be worse.”

“True." With a sigh, Caleb leaned further into Fjord and let his head pillow against his body. “We've dealt with much worse.”

“Get some sleep, Cay. I'll wake you when it's your turn for watch.”

Slightly chapped lips pressed against Caleb's temple as his eyes slid shut. Blindly, he reached for Fjord's hand below the blankets to lace their fingers together. The gentle stroke of Fjord's thumb across the back of Caleb's gradually lolled him to a peaceful sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos always greatly appreciated. You can find me on Tumblr ([SociallyAwkwardFoxWriter](http://sociallyawkwardfoxwriter.tumblr.com/)).


	4. “I know it’s 3 in the morning, but I can’t find my cat.”

With a groan, Caleb fell back against the couch and rubbed at his tired eyes hoping to get rid of the stinging to focus on the text once more. When the stinging remained, he leaned forward to shut the book and put away the various scattered notes. He glanced at the clock hanging precariously next to the shitty television to find it nearing three in the morning.

After several tries, he managed to stagger to his feet without tripping over the hem of his pants or a fallen pillow. He stumbled his way to the bathroom to get ready for bed, then staggered over to the window that Frumpkin loved. The empty windowsill brought him to a sudden halt. Blinking multiple times didn’t make his cat magically appear and glancing at the immediate vicinity didn’t reveal anything else either. A quick search of the apartment for all of Frumpkin’s favorite hiding spots turned up nothing. 

His heart began to beat violently in his chest as he tried to steady his breathing to keep the panic from escalating. Normally, he would have woken Beau up for assistance, but she’d chosen to spend the night at Jester’s place. In that case, he either had to look for Frumpkin on his own or ask the one other person in the apartment complex that he’d talked to for longer than a few seconds. Once he tugged on his boots, Caleb hurried out the door to stand nervously in front of the door across from his.

The worry for Frumpkin won out as he reached out to loudly knock on the door several times. Minutes dragged on to the point he didn’t think anyone would answer, then the sound of heavy footsteps coming to the door filtered through the door. He shifted impatiently from one foot to the next while he waited for the lock to be undone and the door to open. A sleepy half-orc stood before him with a shirt haphazardly thrown on.

“Caleb?”

“Sorry. I know it’s 3 in the morning, but I can’t find my cat. Beau normally helps me find him, but she isn’t home and I don’t know what else to do. It’s cold outside and he could be anywhere. I-”

“Caleb,” Gentle hands rested on his shoulders, whether to comfort him or keep Fjord upright he wasn’t sure, but he leaned into the touch. “give me a minute to get my coat and shoes on, then I’ll help you find your cat.”

“Thank you.”

Fjord’s rumbling hum in response gave way to a massive yawn as he struggled into his boots. As Fjord tugged on his coat, he stepped out of the apartment and closed the door behind him. After nearly tipping over, he placed a comforting hand on Caleb’s lower back.

“Where should we look?”

“He doesn’t normally go very far. The benches at the park or… or-”

“Let’s start at the park and go from there. I’m sure we’ll find him.”

He nodded wordless to avoid having to work through the lump of anxiety lodged in his throat. His fingers flexed nervously at his side to prevent them from reaching out to grab hold of Fjord’s coat for support. Caleb nearly jumped when the hand on his back dropped to lace fingers through his fingers. A firm squeeze drew his gaze from the empty street to the half-orc walking beside him radiating calm.

Quickly, he pulled his eyes away from Fjord’s face before he could catch him looking to focus on finding his cat. With every empty bench they passed, his pace picked up just a bit more until he was almost jogging along the path. Instead of slowly him down like Beau always did, Fjord kept pace with him along the winding walkway through the park. Before he rounded the last corner, a sharp tug on his arm dragged him the opposite direction.

“Fjord?”

“I think I saw him. Hold on.” The hand holding his released as Fjord disappeared behind a small cluster of trees. Impatience almost got the better of him when the half-orc reappeared carrying an orange bundle in his arms. “I got him.”

“Frumpkin!”

Before he could take the cat from Fjord, he let out a loud sneeze that put a sheepish expression on his face. “Sorry. Here’s your cat.”

“Are you allergic?”

“Uh, only a little.” As Fjord sniffled, he took a large step back. “It’s fine. No big deal.”

“Why would you come help me look for my cat at three in the morning when he makes you sneeze?”

“He’s important to you. I wanted to be sure you found him.”

“That’s… Thank you, Fjord.”

“Don’t mention it. I’m always happy to help. Now, let’s get out of the cold and back to the apartments. You look like you haven’t slept in days.”

“There’s been a lot to do.”

As Fjord placed his hand on his back again to start Caleb moving back to the apartment, he rolled his eyes at Caleb’s statement. “Sleep is more important than whatever you’ve been busy with.”

Caleb shrugged his shoulders in response, then focused all his attention on petting the cat in his arms. Frumpkin gave a low rumbling purr and nuzzled his head against Caleb’s chest with his big eyes looking innocently up at him. A fond sigh fell from his lips as he poked Frumpkin on the nose in revenge for sneaking out of the house. The cat batted at his finger to get it away from his nose, but he didn’t let that stop him from poking at it to annoy him.

An amused chuckle from Fjord brought him back to the world around him. To his surprise, they stood outside their apartments with Fjord smiling down at him. With an awkward cough, he quickly opened his door to set Frumpkin down in the apartment, then turned back to Fjord.

“Thank you again for helping. I’ll make it up to you.”

“That’s not necessary.” Instead of bidding Caleb good night, Fjord nervously rubbed the back of his neck and took a step closer to him. “It actually gave me a chance to spend time with you. You’re, uh, always so busy and I don’t want to bother.”

“You could never be a bother. If you ever want to talk, you can just knock or interrupt whatever I’m doing.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Good. Very good.”

Fjord dipped his head down for a moment, then quickly lifted it back up and cleared his throat. “Well, we should probably get some sleep now, but what would you say if I suggested we get coffee together tomorrow morning to make up for the sleep we lost?”

“Only if I pay.”

“I can’t say no to that. I’ll see you in the morning, Caleb.”

“Good night, Fjord.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos always greatly appreciated. You can find me on Tumblr ([SociallyAwkwardFoxWriter](http://sociallyawkwardfoxwriter.tumblr.com/)).


	5. “Was this supposed to be a romantic gesture?”

“Thirty-five gold pieces.” The shopkeeper's lazy eye drifted to the side while the other narrowed in determination. “No less! Do you want or no?”

After a few beats of staring, Fjord pulled the bag of gold from his belt. “Yes, I'll take the book. Here.”

Her shaking fingers snatched the gold off the counter to count it, then handed over the book with a toothy grin that showed several holes from missing teeth. As he tucked the book away, he returned the small and began backing out of the shop. A pleasant breeze blew away the musty smell of the shop that lingered in his nose as he strode down the street. Despite being a pleasant day for a walk, his feet carried him quickly back to the inn in the hopes he could beat the others and avoid questions.

Unfortunately, the two people he least wanted to run into greeted him when he entered the inn nearly stopping him dead in his tracks. Before he could back out and sneak around the back, piercing blue eyes locked onto to his. A hand lifted to wave him over to the table Caleb and Nott claimed in the corner of the room. Once he was sure the book was properly hidden, he weaved his way through the other tables to take a seat across from the two.

“Did you find what you were looking for?” Caleb's nimble fingers tapped against the tabletop. “You were very determined this morning. I've never seen you so eager to go shopping. Normally, you avoid it like the plague.”

“I don't know if eager is the word for it, but I did find what I was looking for.”

“That's good.”

Nott's hands slapped against the table as she leaned across it with her eyes narrowed. “What did you get? Was it something dangerous? You were being very shady about it.”

“Leave him be, Nott.”

“It's suspicious.” Despite her eyes narrowing, she settled back into her chair with her arms crossed over her chest. “You should eat something, Caleb. It's been hours since breakfast.”

“The others-”

“Could take hours. Here,” Nott pushed some coin into Caleb's fingers completely ignoring his protesting in the process. “go get something for us to share.”

“Fine, but only because you are being pushy.”

After playfully ruffling Nott's hair, Caleb went over to the innkeeper to order the food she insisted he needed. His attention was so focused on Caleb he didn't notice the goblin sneaking to his side of the table. When the weight of the book disappeared from his side, Fjord whipped his head around to find Nott flipping through the delicate pages.

“Nott! What have I told you about going through my stuff?” Instead of wrapping around the book, nothing except air met his fingers as he snatched for it. “Give it back.”

“What is this for? Are you trying to be a wizard like Caleb? Caleb's the only wizard we need.”

“No, I'm not trying to be a wizard.”

“Then why do you have this?”

The next lunge gave him enough reach to grab the book from her hands and stuff it back into his coat out of sight. “It's not for me.

“Who is it for?”

“Nott, why are you interrogating Fjord?" After setting the food in the middle of the table, Caleb sat in his chair once more with a raised eyebrow. “You are not being subtle.”

“We were just talking.”

“That was not just talking.”

“I'm going to get a drink.”

As Nott scurried away, Caleb fondly rolled his eyes at her retreating back. “She is getting restless. It will be good when we get our next job.”

“I think we all are.”

“We must be if went shopping to have something to do.”

“There, uh, was actually something I've been looking for. Since we might be leaving soon, I thought I should stop putting it off.”

“I'm glad you found it.”

“Me too.” His eyes darted around the room for any sign of the others, then he let out a shaky breath as his fingers wrapped around the book. “It's actually something that I wanted to give to you. I found it at a bookshop down the street. I'm not sure how useful it'll be, but it looks right up your alley.”

“Me?”

“Is there anyone else here I could be talking to?”

While Caleb blinked owlishly at him, Fjord held the book out to him. When he finally reached out to take it, their fingers brushed for a split second with their eyes still locked. He fought down the urge to blush at the innocent contact as Caleb's attention went to the book held in his hands. All embarrassment went out the window at the shift from disbelief to amazement on Caleb's face.

“Fjord, this is incredible. It must have cost a fortune.”

“I managed a haggle a better deal, but never mind that. Do you like it?”

“Like it? I can't even… I can't thank you enough. This is what you went out for?”

“Not this exactly, but I know you've been too busy transcribing those new spells to hit the bookshops. I thought I could do it for you.”

Caleb ran a hand down the front, then looked up at Fjord with a soft smile. “Thank you, Fjord.”

* * *

Despite the late hour, his restless mind wouldn't allow him to get the sleep he needed, especially since they would be leaving early in the morning. With a frustrated groan, he went to flip onto his side in the hoped a different position would help. Instead, Fjord nearly ended up on the floor at the sight of Nott perched on the edge of his bed. Grasping onto the sheets, he pulled himself back onto the bed, then quickly scrambled up.

“What the fuck are you doing here, Nott?”

“Was this supposed to be a romantic gesture?” She held up the book he bought for Caleb. “Was it?”

“Nott-”

“Answer the question.”

“It was a gift.”

“Because you like Caleb!”

“Of course, I like Caleb.”

Nott pointed an accusatory finger at him while the other hand clutched the book tightly to her chest. “Because you want to romance him! You want to kiss him and hold his hand and take him on dates!”

“That's…” He rubbed his hand over his face, then let it fall into his lap with a sigh. “Why did you sneak into my room to ask me about this in the middle of the night?”

“We need to have this conversation in private where the others won't overhear, and you can't get away.”

“What conversation do we need to have?”

“Tell me your intentions with Caleb. Spill it now!”

“Can't this wait until the morning?”

“No!”

“For the love of-fine! But, you don't tell anyone what I tell you.”

After a brief pause, Nott nodded her head in agreement and sat cross legged next to him on the bed. “Deal.”

“Look, I know you're protective of Caleb, so let me start by saying the last thing I want to do is hurt him.”

“I'll shoot you if you do.”

“I know you will, and I wouldn't try to stop you.”

“Why not?”

“Caleb deserves to be happy. If I did something to jeopardize that, I'd want you to hold me accountable for it.”

“Good because I will.” She shuffled closer to Fjord with her eyes narrowed, then poked a finger hard against his chest. “What do you plan to about your feelings? Are you going to tell him? Are you going to keep giving him gifts until he makes the first move? What's your angle?”

“That was so many questions, I don't even know where to start. Here's the thing though, I have no damn idea what I'm doing. How would I even bring that up without making a complete ass out of myself if he isn't interested? Hey, Caleb. Remember that book I bought you the other day and all the watches we took together, it was all to get closer to you because I'm interested in you in the romantic sense. Did any of my failed attempts at romancing you actually work? If not, I sincerely hope we can remain friends and nothing becomes super awkward.”

A low growl rumbled out of Nott as she bared her teeth at him. "Don't make me regret saying this.”

“Saying wha-”

“Shush! I will… help you, but only because I know he likes you to and it would make him happy. If you do anything to hurt him!”

“You'll shoot me. I know.” When Nott sat back with a satisfied expression on her face, he cleared his throat and let his body slump back into the pillows. “Are you sure you want to help me? We aren't exactly on the friendliest of terms.”

“It's not for you. It's for Caleb. We both seem to want him to be happy, so I'll help this one time.”

“Thank you, Nott.”

“Don't make me regret helping you.”

“I'll do my best.”

“Good. Now, get some sleep. We start tomorrow.”

“Start what?” Before hopping off the bed and scurrying over to the door, a wide grin appeared on her face. “Nott? Nott! Fuck it. That's a tomorrow problem.”

After readjusting to settle into a more comfortable position, he tried to close his eyes once again and let sleep take him. Nott's words played over and over in his mind, until they became a familiar rhythm that helped steady his breathing. Slowly, sleep crept up on him dragging him into a peaceful night devoid of nightmares or dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos always greatly appreciated. You can find me on Tumblr ([SociallyAwkwardFoxWriter](http://sociallyawkwardfoxwriter.tumblr.com/)).


	6. They wouldn’t let me visit you in the hospital room unless I was family, so I told them we’re married

A groan drew his attention from the book he already read three times to the half-orc slowly opening his eyes for the first time in days. He tossed the book to the side as he quickly rose from the chair to lean over him. Confusion twisted his features, then a shaky hand reached up to poke Caleb's face like he wanted to be sure he wasn't imagining things. Once Fjord was satisfied his imagination wasn't getting the best of him, he let his hand drop away and cleared his throat.

“Caleb?”

“Hey there. How are you feeling?”

“Like I've been hit by a truck.”

“That's not entirely inaccurate." When Fjord made to push himself up, Caleb pressed a gentle hand to the center of his chest. “Let me get the doctor first.”

“Doctor?”

“Fjord, you're in the hospital. Do you remember what happened?”

His eyebrows scrunched together as he gave up trying to sit up in favor of settling back against the mattress. “We were all at the holiday party at Beau and Jester's place. I drove you and Nott home. Or, I was supposed to. I don't know. It's a little fuzzy.”

“They said you might have some trouble remembering, but that was very close. A car slid on the ice and lost control. It hit your side of the car.”

“Shit. Are you and Nott okay?”

“Do not worry about us. We are fine. Nothing more than a few bumps and bruises. You are the one we've been worrying about.”

“How long have I been here?”

“A few days. They, uh, would not let any of us in.” Fjord scrunched his face up in confusion and tipped his head to the side. “I made have told a little lie to get around their rules.”

“What rules?”

“Only family was allowed in until you woke up. Jester and Beau tried to explain the situation, but they weren't willing to make any exceptions.”

“So, how did you get in?”

“We were recently married and haven't had the opportunity to update all the necessary paperwork. They were much more understanding of that unfortunate situation, especially when you gave me such a lovely ring.” He showed the finger with the ring Jester lent him, then let his hand drop to the bed next to Fjord's. “I've been keeping the others updated.”

“How many times have they tried to sneak in?”

“Enough times the staff figured out most of their tricks, but they won't need to worry about that now you're awake.”

“Would you think I'm a terrible person if I didn't want to see them yet? My head is killing me. I just want to go back to sleep.”

“Of course not. We both know how loud they can be. Let me-”

A soft knock on the door drew both their attention to the door as it was opened by a nurse with her clipboard in hand. "Oh, look who's awake. Your friends will be happy to hear that.”

“Fjord isn't feeling up to company yet. Could we keep this between us?”

“Of course, dear. Let me give your husband a quick checkup, then I'll get out of your hair.”

She quickly went through the familiar motions of checking Fjord's vitals and examining the stitches hidden beneath bandages. As she worked, a steady stream of questions were directed at Fjord about his current condition. While his answers came slower than normal, he didn't appear to be struggling through his answers or slurring his words. The more Fjord spoke, the more tension drained from Caleb's body as the reality of Fjord finally being awake set in.

“There we go, dear. I'll be back later to check on you again. Get some rest.”

Once the door quietly shut behind the nurse, Fjord sank further into the pillows with a tired sigh and shifts his gaze over to Caleb. When he held out a hand, Caleb took it in his own to give a firm squeeze, then held loosely onto his trembling fingers. A weak tug pulled Caleb out of his chair onto the edge of the bed as he let his free run through Fjord's hair.

“I hate hospitals.”

“I know. I'm sure you'll be out of here soon. We'll keep you company until then.”

“Thank you, Caleb. Would you mind joining me for a bit? I could use a distraction.”

“That's more of Jester's area of expertise, but I'll do what I can.”

Fjord snorted as he leaned heavily against Caleb with his arms wrapped around his waist and nose pressed uncomfortably into his shoulder. “Don't sell yourself short. I know better than that. Why do you think Beau and Nott always call dibs before anyone else can?”

“Considering I'm skin and bone, I can't imagine leaning against me is very comfortable."

“You're warm. It's nice.” A loud yawn followed by an annoyed grunt came from Fjord when Caleb shifted his arm to wrap around his shoulder, so his face now rested against Caleb's chest. “See. You make a great pillow.”

“Good to hear. That is what I always aspired to be.”

“Very funny. I'm just going to take a short nap. Promise.”

His fingers ran soothingly through Fjord's hair to encourage the half-orc to sleep. “Take as long as you need. The others can wait.”

“Thanks, Cay.”

* * *

Gentle tickling against his nose drew him slowly from his sleep to find his face pressed against the top of a familiar head of black hair. The slow, steady breathing of the warlock pressed against him meant he didn't cause the injured man to wake. As carefully as possible, Caleb shifted into a more comfortable position with Fjord still pressed against him. Even though his arm felt numb, he didn't try to move it out from under Fjord's hair for fear of waking him.

While he was tempted to drift back off, he forced himself to stay awake staring at the ceiling until Fjord woke as well. He considered digging through his pockets for his phone to give the others an update, but he couldn't be bothered to move. It'd been too long since they last had the chance to all get together, and last night hadn't included enough tactile contact for him. The last thing he wanted to do was risk doing something that would end the contact.

“Caleb? What time is it?”

“Almost six in the evening. How are you feeling?”

An annoyed grunt came from Fjord, then he pressed his face firmer against Caleb's chest. “Better. I think I can handle seeing the others.”

“Are you just saying that because you think you need to or because you feel well enough to see them?”

“My head isn't killing me, so I'd call that as well as I can be.”

“If you're sure," With as much care as possible, Caleb moved Fjord onto his pillows and slipped off the mattress. "I'll go get them. Is there anything you want me to get you?”

“No, but you should go home. Get a shower, eat, sleep. You look exhausted and your hair is starting to look greasy.”

“Someone needs to keep an eye on you.”

“I'm not going to make a run for it.”

“After the last time, I think you can understand us not believing that.”

“For the last time, that was a reaction to the drugs. The doctors confirmed that.” A poke to the chest turned into Fjord gently wrapping his fingers around Caleb's wrist to give a squeeze. “Please take care of yourself. The last thing I want is you to end up here because you were too busy taking care of me to care for yourself.”

“Fine, only because everyone else will annoy me into doing it if you bring it up. I'll be back first thing tomorrow morning. If you think of anything you need, tell Nott and I'll bring it tomorrow.”

“There is one thing I wouldn't say no to, and honestly you're the one I'm most comfortable asking.”

“What is it?”

“A change of clothes, toothbrush and deodorant. I feel like a hot mess.”

“You look like one.”

“You're one to talk. How old is that coat now?”

Caleb drew his coat tighter around himself, then poked his tongue out at Fjord. “None of your business. It's a perfectly fine coat.”

“Agree to disagree on that one. Now, get out of here. You look like you're about to pass out.”

“Don't push yourself too hard with the others. You need rest.”

“I know.”

“Good.” After placing his abandoned book on the side table, he gave Fjord's shoulder a quick squeeze before heading to the door. “I'll be back, Fjord. Don't get out of that bed unless the nurse says you can.”

“Caleb, get out. I'll still be here when you come back. Promise. I'll even tell the nurses about how great a husband you are to pass the time.”

He rolled his eyes at the ridiculous tone of Fjord's voice. “Jester's already planned our future wedding. You're only going to fuel her determination.”

“Being married wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, except the allergies. That will be torture.”

“I'm sure Jester figured out a solution to that.”

“In that case, what are we waiting for?”

“Your guess is as good as mine. Something to think able while you're here. Goodbye, Fjord.”

“Bye, Cay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos always greatly appreciated. You can find me on Tumblr ([SociallyAwkwardFoxWriter](http://sociallyawkwardfoxwriter.tumblr.com/)).


	7. Holiday Proposal

“Thanks for meeting with me, Cad. I know things are busy right now, so I appreciate you taking the time to meet with me.”

“It's no trouble at all. Tea?” Fjord requested the mug held out to him with a smile of thanks, then took a quick sip of the warm liquid to calm his nerves. “Like it? It's a new blend I've been working on.”

“Yes, it's very relaxing.”

“Good. You seemed nervous. Is it about what you wanted to talk about or something else?”

“I, uh, need your help with something that has me a little out of my element. I have some idea of what I want to do, but I could use your help with it.”

“Whatever it is, I'm happy to help. Tell me what's on your mind.”

With shaking fingers, he popped the lid of the small box he'd taken to carrying around in his pocket and set it on the table. “At the beginning of the year, I told myself I wouldn't buy a ring until I knew how I wanted to propose, but I saw this ring when we visited Rexxentrum in June and I couldn't help myself. The only reason Caleb hasn't found it yet is because Beau agreed to hold onto it for me. I've been losing sleep over how to do it, and I think I've finally figured it out.”

“Congratulations. I'm sure you and Caleb will be very happy together. What did you have in mind for a proposal?”

“Well, you mentioned a while ago there have been proposals at the botanical garden light trail, and I thought that would be fitting. We've all gone together every year for a long time, and we had our first date there. It seems like a good way to say I want to stay by his side for many years to come. What do you think?”

“It sounds like you thought about this a lot, which means Caleb will love it.”

“Yeah, it's a bit public, but there are always plenty of quiet spots along the way. I was hoping you might be able to give me some advice on a few good spots.”

“Hmm,” After taking a thoughtful sip of his tea, Caduceus rose from his seat to grab a sheet of paper out of his bag to place on the table between them. “there are a few good spots. We have a recommended spot, but I think this one would fit the two of your better. I could show you if you stop by the garden tomorrow before we close for the trail.”

“Really? That would be amazing. I can't thank you enough, Cad.”

“I'm happy to help. I'm sure this is the only time you'll ask someone to spend the rest of your lives together. It's wonderful.”

“Yeah, not stressful at all.”

“Knowing the two of you, this is something you've discussed to the point of exhaustion. There's nothing to be stressed about. Caleb feels the same tie that you do.”

“That doesn't make the proposal any less stressful. It's Caleb. He deserves the best.”

“Don't put too much pressure on yourself to make it perfect. You don't want to send yourself to an early grave because you're worrying too much. Caleb would be upset if that happened.”

“Thank you. That was very comforting.”

“Good. Would you like more tea?”

“Yes, please.”

* * *

“Hey, Fjord.”

His feet nearly slipped across a patch of ice at the unexpected sound of Beau whispering right next to his ear. Cackling covered the sound of his string of swear thrown out Beau as he whipped around to throw a soft slap that completely missed the target. Before he could lurch forward to give a small shove at the laughing woman, an arm wrapped around his elbow to encourage him to keep walking to the botanical garden entrance. With an annoyed huff, he threw a glare over his shoulder at Beau, then turned his attention to a smirking Caleb.

“She is trying to provoke you into making a fool out of yourself.”

“I know that. She's been doing that since we've met because she's a terrible friend.” A slam of snow against the center of his back sent a rumble through his chest that quickly cut out when Caleb pressed closer against his side. “See what I mean. I don't know why I've stuck around her all these years. All she does is abuse me.”

“Because she always has your back and would kick anyone's ass that hurt you. Plus, you wouldn't know what to do without her.”

“Don't bring sense into this. It's no fun to be angry if it's insensible.”

“Being angry defeats the purpose of spending an evening together enjoying the lights.”

“Fine. I'll get her back later.”

“I'm sure you will.”

After one last glare over his shoulder, he shifted an arm to wrap around Caleb's shoulders to better protect him from the chill. The shuffle of people crowding to the ticket counter forced them closer together as they waited to get their tickets scanned. His fingers nervously messed with the ring in his pocket to keep them from showing on his face or doing something else to tip Caleb off. All he had to do was make it a little over halfway through the trail to the spot Caduceus helped him pick out.

The nervous energy in his stomach leapt into his throat when the person scanning their tickets waved them into the gardens. As usual, they followed Cad's lead around the gardens admiring the plants and lights at a pace that felt torturously slow. When they finally turned the corner to the spot, he nearly stopped in his tracks as his brain whirled to get his thoughts together. His racing mind came to an immediate halt when Caduceus began a story meant to distract the others while he pulled Caleb off to the side. For a moment he froze, then a reassuring smile from Caduceus kicked him into gear. 

“Hey, Cay. Why don't we go look at these?”

After pulling his eyes away from the firbolg, Caleb glanced over to where he was pointing. “Sure.”

While Caleb admired the strings of lights that hung from the trees around them, he counted the steps to the spot. He slowed to a stop among the sea of greens and blues with his heart beating wildly in his chest. After taking a deep breath, Fjord shifted to stand in front of Caleb drawing the man's attention away from the lights surrounding them. Beautiful blue eyes went wide as Fjord slowly dropped to one knee with Caleb's hands held in his.

“You know I can talk out of my ass for days, but I've never been good at this. At talking about emotions and saying what's most important, but I'm going to try my best and hope that's enough. Since the day I met you, I've been in awe of how incredible you are. It blew my mind how smart and talented you are, and my admiration for you has grown with each passing day. I thank the Wildmother every day that I met you. You're thoughtful and passionate and more than I could ever put into words that would do you justice. Time spent with you is the best part of my day. I couldn't imagine not waking up to see you first thing in the morning and falling asleep with you at night. The rest of our lives doesn't nearly sound long enough, so I'm going to be selfish and ask you for forever. Will you marry me, Caleb Widogast?” The snap of the box opening as he held it between them echoed in the silence between them.

A shimmer of tears welled in Caleb's eyes and the hand still gripping his tightened to an almost painful degree. “Ja, Fjord. Nothing would make me happier.”

Laughter rumbled out of his chest causing all the tension that had built over the last few weeks to disappear. Shaking hands fumbled to get the ring out of the case, then gently slide it onto Caleb's finger where the dark metal and bright red gems stood out against his pale skin. The cool metal pressed against his skin as Caleb cupped it under his jaw to drag him up for a kiss that had his toes curling. He wrapped his arms around Caleb's waist to drag him closer and deepened the kiss.

When they broke the kiss, their foreheads remained pressed together and they shared huge smiles. “I hope you like the ring.”

“It's beautiful. Thank you, Fjord. You know the others are going to start planning the wedding immediately.”

“It'll be chaos.”

“Which means it'll be perfect.”

“Yeah, it will.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos always greatly appreciated. You can find me on Tumblr ([SociallyAwkwardFoxWriter](http://sociallyawkwardfoxwriter.tumblr.com/)).


	8. Peppermint

The chill of the winter wind nipped at his nose as he pulled his scarf up to cover it up with the heavy material. His pace quickened to a brisk walk with the thought of warmth giving him the inspiration he needed to push forward. Once the familiar bright blue door came into view, a sigh of relief feel from his lips at the thought of what lie beyond it. He rushed up the few steps to knock briskly against the door, then impatiently waited for the door to swing open.

A wide smile greeted him that immediately caused a warmth to pool in his abdomen. “Hey there, Cay. Let’s get you out of the cold.”

“Thank you.” Warmth washed over him as he stepped into the house leaving the cold behind him. “I can see someone got in the holiday spirit.”

Fjord’s eyes rolled at the comment, but he didn’t let that stop him from helping Caleb struggle out of his winter gear. “I can assure you that neither of us had anything to do with it.”

“I don’t doubt it. When did Jester get here?”

“Oh, she woke me up around three in the morning to start decorating. Why she didn’t just stay over last night if that was her plan, I have no idea.”

“What does Beau think of all this?”

“Well, Jessie did it, so it’s the best thing she’s ever seen. I’m trying to find any excuse I can to get out of here tonight. I don’t want to hear what she thinks about it later.”

“You know you’re always welcome to stay with Nott and I when you need to get away from that.”

“I don’t think Nott would agree with that, but I’m taking you up on that tonight. I might have already packed a bag.”

“Always prepared.”

“It’s the sailor in me.”

“I don’t doubt it.”

When they stepped into the living room, his entire body melted at the homey sight in front of him. While the entrance and office looked like Christmas threw up all over the place, the living room looked like a picturesque winter post card. Light from the fire combined with twinkling fairy lights strung around the room gave the room a soft glow. Blankets and pillows were spread around the room for the taking and the others were making good use of them. A particularly soft looking blanket instantly drew his attention.

“Make yourself comfortable. I’m going to grab you a drink.”

“You don’t need-”

“So you always tell me, but does that ever stop me?”

“No.” The little smirk that danced along Fjord’s lips had him biting back a comment on the tip of his tongue. “Thank you.”

“How many times do I have to tell you that you don’t need to thank me?”

“Do you really think that will ever stop me?”

“You’re too stubborn for your own good sometimes. Go sit. I’ll be right back.”

After watching Fjord disappear from the room, Caleb moved to grab the blanket as he headed for the only empty piece of furniture in the room. The cushy love seat sank under his weight, until he found himself comfortably squashed in the corner with the blanket wrapped around him. While his tired mind wandered, his eyes looked over the others in the room. Nott was in fierce conversation with a rapidly gesturing Beau as Jester egged them both on to sow the seeds of chaos. Cad and Yasha spoke in hushed tones with such calm that they clearly intended to ignore the rowdy group in the middle of the room.

“Careful, it’s hot.” Instinctively he reached out for the mug, then pulled it tightly to his chest to enjoy the heat radiating from it. “They’re still at it?”

“Whatever it is.”

“Some game they were playing. They can’t agree on the rules for it. I gave up trying to help when Beau almost smacked me in the face.”

“That was probably the safe play.”

“I’m just hoping they don’t destroy the living room. If they start to, I’m calling it quits for the night. I’m not up to dealing with that today.”

“We can leave as soon as you would like.”

“Drink your hot chocolate first, then we’ll talk about that. First things first though, how is work going? I feel like I haven’t seen you in ages.”

“Busy. I’ve been doing my best to assist in whatever way I can, but there is only so much I can do. It will be a long process.”

“I’m sure they appreciate everything you’re doing for them.”

“For the most part, but there are some days that make me feel like pulling my hair out. They can be as stubborn as Beau when they want to be.”

“That’s impressive. I almost want to meet them.”

“Almost being the key word.” After blowing gently on the hot chocolate, he took a drink from the mug and let the warm liquid relax him further into the cushions. “This is very good.”

“It’s something Jester brought over. I thought you’d like it.”

“I do. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Now, what else has been going on other than work? Nott mentioned something, then got real shady when I asked about it.”

His fingers involuntarily went tight around his mug. “Oh, that is… nothing to be concerned with. We got a visit from someone that wasn’t welcomed. It’s been dealt with. There’s nothing more to say.”

“If one of those assholes is fucking with you again, you know-”

“I know, I know. I don’t need any of you getting involved. It’s handled.”

“If it happened again-”

“I know.” To get the frown off Fjord face, Caleb shifted from his corner spot to lean against Fjord’s side. “I know you all are willing to help, which I appreciate, but it is unnecessary. If something happens in the future, you will be the first to know.”

“Good. I’m, uh, sorry I brought down the mood. Would giving you your present liven things up again?”

“Present?”

“It’s here and so are you. Why not open it now?”

“Because it is not Christmas yet. I think we can wait a few days.”

“You’ll still have something to open from me on Christmas.”

“Two?”

“Something caught my eye the other day and I couldn’t resist picking it up for you. Can I please give it to you now?”

After pulling back to scrutinize Fjord’s face for a moment, he straightened up to allow Fjord to move. “I’ll open it because I’m curious.”

“Color me surprised.”

Before Fjord could get far enough away, his hand shot out to smack whatever part of Fjord he could reach. A low chuckle trailed behind Fjord as he hurried out of the room leaving Caleb with a mug of hot chocolate to sip on while he waited. The anticipation caused his finger to tap out a steady rhythm against the mug while his eyes watched the door like a hawk. As soon as the half-orc stepped back into the room, his eyes narrowed in on the suspiciously book shaped present in his hand.

“Here.”

While Fjord handed over the present with one hand, his other took hold of the mug to make both of Caleb’s hands free. Careful fingers brought the present to rest on his lap for free of potentially harming whatever hid within the wrapping. A gentle nudge against his shoulder urged him to beginning pulling at wrapping, until a leather-bound book sat in his lap. If the delicate gold writing on the front didn’t give it away, the slight aura of magic radiating from it would’ve tipped him off to the contents of the book.

When his head snapped up to look at Fjord, a pleased smile appeared on his face that did nothing to settle the unsettling feeling building in him. “What do you think?”

“This is… This is much too much. I can’t accept this. It’s…”

“You will because I already bought and I can’t take it back, which means someone has to get some use out it.”

“Fjord.”

“Cay.”

“Fjord!”

“Cay!” The smile remained as Fjord shifted his weight to lean over Caleb with his eyes twinkling. “It’s a present. Please enjoy it.”

“It must have cost you a fortune.”

“Not a fortune, but that doesn’t matter because it’s not about the money. Do you like it?”

“It’s amazing, Fjord. I don’t even know where to begin.”

“Good, then that means it was money well spent. Enjoy it.”

“I-” After running a tentative hand along the cover, he gently placed it to the side so he could place his hands on Fjord’s shoulders to keep from losing balance when he leaned up to place a kiss on his cheek. “Thank you so much. No one has ever given me something this incredible. I will take good care of it.”

When he sat back in the love seat, his eyes caught sight of a light blush dusting along Fjord’s cheeks. “Uh, good. That’s really good. I’m glad you like it.”

“Fjord?”

“Yeah.” Fjord cleared his throat and sat up a little straighter. “Yes?”

Instead of using words, his hands shifted to gently cup Fjord’s jaw as he leaned in to press a kiss against chapped lips. The bump of the mug against his side nearly startled him away, but a comforting hand against his lower back drew him closer. As soon as their lips parted, a chuckling huff blew across his face. When he turned a quizzical gaze up at Fjord, the tenderness in his eyes caught him off guard.

“You taste like peppermint.”

His head tipped to the side in confusion, until the words sank in. “It’s the hot chocolate.”

“I know, I just wasn’t expecting it.”

“I-”

“What are you two doing!” Nott’s cutting voice caused them both to startle at the sudden sound. “Get your hands off my boy. That’s not appropriate for a public space!”

With a roll of his eyes, Caleb took the mug back from Fjord as he settled against Fjord’s side despite the half-orc going completely stiff. “We weren’t doing anything inappropriate. You’re just being a mother hen. Go back to your game. You don’t need to keep an eye on us.”

“If you sneak off-”

“You’ll know where to find us.”

After giving Fjord one more glare, Nott’s attention returned to the whatever game her and Beau had been in the middle of. While Fjord continued to sit stiffly, Caleb grabbed the discarded blanket off the floor with his free hand to wrap around them. Once he settled back against Fjord, he pulled the book onto his lap to beginning flipping through the pages as he sipped his hot chocolate. Slowly, Fjord began to relax back against the couch with his arm draped across Caleb’s shoulders. When a soft kiss pressed against the top of his head, Caleb smiled into his mug of hot chocolate and flipped to the next page. A perfect evening just in time for the holidays.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos always greatly appreciated. You can find me on Tumblr ([SociallyAwkwardFoxWriter](http://sociallyawkwardfoxwriter.tumblr.com/)).


	9. “I’m in love…shit”

Laughter and chatter filled the tavern they stumbled into after weeks of being on the road working a job that left them all more banged up than normal. Most of their party had already disappeared for the evening to catch up on rest and give their injuries proper time to heal. Even Nott forewent a night at the bar to stick close to Caleb's side, not that Fjord could blame her. They'd seen Caleb go down a number of times, but he'd have nightmares for the next few nights of Caleb's shriek of pain as his insides stained the grass dark crimson. While he laid unbreathing in a pool of his own blood, his blue eyes went glassy as they stared unseeingly at the sky.

"You look like you need this." Fjord accepted the shot being pushed into his hand and immediately tossed it back. 

"How many more of those do you have?"

A tray of shots dropped onto the bar next to him as Beau plopped onto the bar stool next to his with a pained grunt. She followed his suit of downing a shot, then slammed the empty glass onto the bar and settled back in the stool. The dark bags that steadily grew through their journey looked impossibly darker than they had earlier that day. Stress from the day radiated off of her in waves, but it was always a toss up whether she planned to acknowledge it or not-especially when that stress directly related to Caleb.

"Think this will be enough? I can go back and get us more."

"The last thing I want to do is get so drunk I pass out."

"Me either." She passed a shot over to him as she grabbed one for her, then tapped the glasses together and tossed it back. "But I might need to get drunker than this to sleep tonight. Do you think they'd let me order a bottle that way I can pass out in my room? That's more acceptable, right?"

"At this point, I'm inclined to agree with you. It's been a day."

"No shit. I still have blood all over my clothes, and only some of it is mine."

"Now, I definitely need another drink." The gentle burn of the alcohol started a subtle buzz in the back of his head. "That's a little better."

"Did it help you forget what you saw earlier? Because that's my goal."

"I don't think there's enough alcohol in the world to do that."

"You're probably right, but that doesn't mean I can't try."

"Please don't. I can't carry you to your room, and Caleb will be pissed if he finds out I let you get shitfaced because of him."

Beau stuck her tongue out at him in annoyance, but the exhaustion quickly washed it away. "Do you think Nott will let us bunk in there tonight?"

"I'm sure she'll let you in if you ask."

"What are you too cool to join us? Do you need to brood the night away?"

"I don't think I'll be welcomed. Plus, those rooms are a little small for that many people."

"That sounds like a load of bullshit. If you're not worried about him, you could just say it."

"You know I care about Caleb. Don't twist my words."

"Sorry. I'm just-" Beau ran a hand through her hair causing some of it to fall out of her bun. "He's like a brother to me. It always sucks when he goes down, but that was…"

"Horrific?"

"That's one word for it."

"He's safe now. Cad got to him in time to save him. We'll take the next couple of days easy to make sure he gets better."

"How are you doing after all that? I don't think I've seen you drink this much in a long time."

Before answering, Fjord grabbed another drink off the tray and tossed it back. "Considering I barely took a hit, I don't think I have any room to complain."

"You're right. You just had to stuff his guts back in and hold them there while Cad brought him back. I'm sure that wasn't mentally scarring."

"Thank you for bringing that up. I wasn't trying to forget that."

"Fair enough. It did get me thinking though, so something goodish came out of it."

"Really?"

"Yeah, about regret and being honest with people about how I feel."

"You're just now thinking about that?"

"Don't sound so judgmental. I'm not the only one that hasn't been honest with people about how they feel."

"What are you talking about?"

"I've seen you staring at Caleb." Beau smirked at him like a pleased cat. "It's so obvious I think everyone knows you want to spend a night with him."

"That is not true."

"Then how do you explain the staring?"

"I don't stare. We both try to watch his back to keep him safe. That means looking at him."

"I watch his back. Your eyes tend to drift down."

"Beau, can we not do this tonight? I'm really not in the mood."

"Yeah, well, someone has to lighten things up and we both know it's not gonna be you. Fuck, I need a stronger drink."

After taking another shot, Fjord leaned back to run a hand through his hair and take a deep breath. "We should probably call it a night. A few more of these and we'll end up sleeping in a gutter."

"Speak for yourself."

"I'm not rising to the challenge, Beau. It's time to call it a night. We've had a hell of a day. Rest will do us both good."

Beau snorted into her next shot before downing it in one go and slamming the glass back on the bar hard enough it almost shattered. "That's a load of bullshit. You don't plan on sleeping tonight. You'll toss and turn for a few hours, then take a walk at ass o'clock to get your mind off it."

"At least I'm going to try to sleep. I'm sure Nott will keep you company until Caleb wakes up."

"Maybe you should stop being scared of Nott, so you actually have a chance to sleep tonight."

"Drop it."

"Why? Haven't you been the one that's always telling me I need to express my feelings and shit? That's feeling a little hypocritical right now."

"What do you want to hear from me? I'm tired because it's been a long and emotionally exhausting day. Seeing that freaked the shit out of me, but I'd prefer to not to think about it more than I already have. In fact, I'd like to clean the blood out of my nails and sleep for a few days. That's what I would like to do."

"You don't want to check on Caleb?" The carefully neutral expression on Beau's face would've put him on edge if he could muster the energy.

"I don't think Nott needs or wants my help with keeping an eye on Caleb."

"Are you sure that's the only reason you're not checking on Caleb?"

"What are you insinuating?"

"That there's something more to it. Obviously."

Fjord let a low rumbling roll through his chest before speaking. "Caleb is important to me. He's important to all of us. We'd be worse off without him. I don't… I'm not sure what I'd do without him around. Watching him go down like that never gets any easier."

"Yeah, well, that's why all of us are around to watch his back like he does for us."

"He's definitely saved my ass more than I've saved his."

"That's because you're always the one that needs saving." After taking the last shot, Beau stood with an exhausted groan that gave away the injuries she spent the evening insisting she didn't have. "Let's go, old man. Jester isn't awake to keep us from ending up in a gutter without our money."

"I'll ignore the old man comment for now, but we're gonna have a talk about that in the morning."

"Whatever you say."

With more difficulty than he'd care to admit, Fjord followed Beau up the stairs to the second floor of the tavern. Immediately, his eyes snapped to the door at the end of the hallway sitting slightly ajar with a thin stream of light slipping through the crack. The low hum of Nott and Cad's voices drifted down the hallway, but he'd have to strain his ears to have even a chance of catching their conversation. A sharp elbow in the side caught a sore bruise that nearly caused him to double over as he turned a glare to Beau.

"Are you going to check on him before you go to sleep?"

"I'm not going to disturb them. Plus, Cad's more useful than I am. If he's checking on them, I'm sure that means Caleb will be fine. I'll stop by tomorrow when he wakes up."

The sound of a softer voice with a heavy Zemnian accent joining the other two had Beau sending him an expectant look. "Sounds like he's awake now. I'm sure he'll want to see his knight in shining armor."

"I'm not a knight in shining armor."

"No, you just held his insides in and stayed with him, until someone could come help him."

"Damn it, Beau." He rubbed his temples in the hopes the beginnings of his headache would go away. "What else was I going to do? Leave him there and hope for the best? I'm in love… shit."

"Finally. You're worse than Caleb."

"Beau, just forget I said anything. I'm a little drunk and very tired. We can talk about this in the morning."

"Listen, man, I'm willing to listen if you want to talk, but whatever's going on between the two of you is none of my business. The only reason I wanted to hear you say that is to be sure Caleb doesn't get hurt. Someone has to look out for both you idiots."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Fuck it. We'll talk about it tomorrow. I'm going to check on Caleb. You should join me. He'd appreciate it."

After glancing at the door to his room, he let out a heavy sigh and continued his way down the hallway. "A couple minutes couldn't hurt."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos always greatly appreciated. You can find me on Tumblr ([SociallyAwkwardFoxWriter](http://sociallyawkwardfoxwriter.tumblr.com/)).


	10. “You’re bleeding all over my carpet.”

The sharp pain of the knife slicing through his palm as he stupidly tried to catch it when it slipped out of his fingers caused a hiss of pain to fall from his lips. Blood immediately pooled in his palm from the deep cut and into the soapy water, staining it a light pink. He quickly reached for the nearest dish towel to wrap around the wound, but it did little to staunch the flow of blood. After pulling the stopper to prevent another mishap with the knife hidden in the water later, Fjord hurried to the office trying not to make a mess on the way. **  
**

Despite the bleeding hand, he knocked on the door before entering the room because he hated to interrupt Caleb without warning. While his entrance caught Frumpkin's attention, Caleb's focus remained on his conversation. When he finished saying his piece, the familiar sound of Beau came from the small set of speakers on his desk. Caleb let his eyes drift over to inspect Fjord as he continued to listen to Beau, until they landed on his injured hand.

"You're bleeding all over my carpet." The steady calm of Caleb's voice settled the nervous energy bubbling up in his chest.

"Yeah, I, uh-sorry to interrupt your call, but I think this needs more attention than a band-aid. It's probably not a good idea to drive myself to the emergency room, so…"

A beat of silence passed, then Caleb turned an amused smirk to the woman pelting him with questions. "It appears we will have to cut this short, Beauregard. I need to take Fjord to get some stitches. I'll send you an update when we're done."

The grumble of Beau acting annoyed that Caleb would ditch him because Fjord couldn't take care of himself brought soft laughter out of his husband before he ended the call. "Sorry."

"There's nothing to apologize for. I'm assuming you didn't do that on purpose, which means it's an accident. Accidents happen, but you could have kept the accident in the kitchen. It's a pain to clean blood out of carpet."

"I can-"

"Get a thicker towel and meet me in the car. We can worry about the carpet after we get that fixed."

"It's not that bad. If we wait too long, it will stain."

"Fjord," Rough hands gently cupped his face to pull his eyes away from the dark stain marring the beige carpet. "I do not care about the carpet. We can rip it all up and replace it with wood tile like we've talked about since we moved in if it stains. Let's go get this patched up before it gets worse."

"It's not that big of a deal."

"We will let the qualified professionals make that decision."

Before Fjord could protest, his husband led him out of the office by his good hand to the storage closet in the hallway. Caleb stood on his tiptoes to reach the top shelf, then dropped back onto his heels with a triumphant noise. After carefully removing the soaked towel, nimble fingers wrapped the new onel around the cut just tight enough to keep the blood from getting everywhere.

"That should work."

"Thanks, Cay."

"You're welcome." As he took hold of Fjord's good hand once more, he pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. "Also, you will be explaining to Jester why we had to throw this away. She is going to be very disappointed."

* * *

"How do you feel?" The push of fingers running through his hair dragged him out of the drug induced haze he'd fallen into. "That good? I did not realize you were so sensitive."

"Not sensitive."

"They barely gave you enough to stop the pain when the numbness wears off and you're acting like they pumped you full of drugs."

"Am not."

"Whatever you say, Fjord."

When the fingers running through his hair suddenly disappeared, Fjord turned a glare to the human looking down at him in amusement. "Why did you stop?"

"Because I do not want to end up sleeping on the couch. Also, Frumpkin will not be happy if we steal his spot."

"Fine. I'm getting up."

While he tried not to, most of the way to their bedroom Fjord had to lean against Caleb so he didn't end up flat on his face. When he attempted to tug his husband down onto the mattress with him, the man slipped out of his grip at the last second. No amount of complaining convinced him to stop whatever he was doing and join Fjord on their comfy mattress. It felt like it took ages for Caleb to return, but the pleasant smell of eucalyptus coming from him sent all complaints out the window.

The moment Caleb settled onto the mattress Fjord rolled over to throw his arm across the man's waist and buried his nose in damp hair. "Be careful with your hand, Fjord. You don't want to rip the stitches."

"You won't let that happen."

"That is why I am warning you."

"Love you so much. Best husband."

"I love you, too."

After pressing a kiss to Caleb's damp hair, Fjord moved down to rest his head against his chest instead to listen to the steady heart beat. "Don't know what I did to deserve you."

"Yes, you do, but I can remind you again if you would like."

"Your voice is nice."

"Thank you, Fjord. You should sleep. I do not think Beauregard will allow you to use this as an excuse to get out of your morning workout."

"Can't lift with stitches."

"I'm sure she's already devised a plan to get around that." Once again, fingers began to weave through his hair in long strokes that slowly had his eyes slipping shut. "If you're feeling bad in the morning, I'll tell her to go away, but I know you hate to miss your workouts. You'll feel better in the morning knowing you tried to make it work."

"So smart."

"Sleep, Fjord."

"We never cleaned the carpet."

A heavy sigh turned into a laugh that had Fjord shifting his head around to glance up at Caleb. "That is very true. Don't worry about it now. It's too late to save the carpet."

"I'll replace it when my hand gets better."

"Rest or it will never get better."

"Fine. Night, Cay. Love you."

"Sleep well, love."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos always greatly appreciated. You can find me on Tumblr ([SociallyAwkwardFoxWriter](http://sociallyawkwardfoxwriter.tumblr.com/)).


	11. Amber

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amber - Upside-down kisses: they tilt your head back as you sit and work, claiming your lips as they stand above you, hands on your shoulders, warm.

The sound of the others talking was the perfect background noise to accompany his reading for the night. While the book had yet to provide any new information, the refresher on topics he hadn't studied in some time was welcomed. It also gave him an excuse to divide his attention between the book and the cat curled up on his lap. A relaxing purr rumbled out of Frumpkin helping Caleb to melt further into the couch with every turned page.

He was so relaxed that he didn't notice someone sneaking up behind him, until it was too late to do anything about it. A gentle hand tipped his head backwards to rest against the couch cushion, which gave him an upside-down view of Fjord standing above him. His hands moved to hold Caleb's shoulders as he leaned down to give him an upside-down kiss. As always, it was easy to lose himself in the slow slide of their lips and the soft sighs that passed between them.

When his hand reached up to thread through the hair on the back of Fjord's head, something hit him hard in the center of his chest. He broke off the kiss with a pained wheeze, then brought his head up to find the source. The culprit stood out among the group since Beau held another pillow in her hand ready to be launched. His glare did nothing to dissuade her from sending it right at his face, but Fjord knocked it out of the way before it made contact.

“If you're going to be gross, get a room.”

“We're not being gross.” His retaliation throw missed the monk as she dodged out of the way. “You're being childish.”

“You're the one making out in the common area.”

“Making out? In what universe was that making out?”

“We both know that's what was about to happen.”

“Since when do we make out in front of everyone.”

“Since the two of you are disgustingly in love.”

Caleb rolled his eyes, then tipped his head back to get another kiss from Fjord just to annoy her. “If you have a problem with it, that's not our problem, Beauregard.”

“You're the worst.”

When Beau finally went back to her conversation with Jester and Nott, he motioned for Fjord to join him on the couch. The moment Fjord got comfortable Caleb curled up against his side with his head resting on his shoulder. Fjord shifted them around to be able to see Caleb without craning his neck at an uncomfortable angle. It also happened to make it easy for him to dip down for another slow kiss.

Instead of being interrupted, they were able to finish their kiss and rest their foreheads together to enjoy the moment. Caleb let his eyes fall shut and gave a pleased hum when Fjord began to gently rub his hands along his spine. The sensation of Fjord all around him would've been enough to lull him to sleep if it weren't for a pillow smacking him in the face once again.

“Beauregard-”

“If you're going to fall asleep, go to bed. There's no way Fjord can carry you and none of us are going to do it for him.”

He stuck his tongue out at her in annoyance, then snapped Frumpkin into existence directly on top of her head. “Thank you for your input.”

“Jokes on you. I love Frumpkin.”

“I'm well aware. Now, leave us alone.”

“As long as you're in a public space, there's nothing you can do to stop me.”

“Fine.” As Caleb rose from the couch with one hand laced with Fjord's, he snapped his finger to make Frumpkin reappear on his shoulders. “Enjoy your evening. We'll be enjoying ours alone.”

“Why do you have to take Frumpkin? Fjord can't even be around him without constantly sneezing.”

“We've fixed that problem, so no need for Frumpkin to spend time with you.”

“That's fucking bullshit.”

“Have a nice night, Beauregard.”

“Fuck you, Widogast!”

Once the door clicked shut behind them, Caleb suddenly found himself pinned to the wall with Fjord smirking down at him. Before he could say anything, lips captured his in a kiss that had his toes curling. He pushed up to return it, but Fjord pulled away before he could deepen the kiss the way he so desperately wanted to.

“For a moment there, I thought that wasn't going to work.”

“Did you rile Beau up on purpose?”

A devilish grin spread across Fjord's face that Caleb quickly wiped off by pinching him on the side. “Only a little. I was just trying to distract you to get some alone time.”

“Next time, put your own body in the line of fire.”

“Can I make it up to you?”

“There might be something you can do, but I'll have to think about it.”

“While you think about it,” Large hands gripped him under his thighs and lifted him until he wrapped his legs around Fjord's waist. “I'm going to get us to your room where we can have some privacy.”

“You know I'm perfectly capable of walking. Are you sure you'll be able to keep this up?”

“I have been working out with Beau.”

“It's obviously paying off, but I don't think this is what Beau had in mind when she agreed to train with you.”

“It wasn't what I had in mind either. Guess it's just a fortunate side effect.”

“Is this why you interrupted me?”

“Not the only reason.”

Despite doing his best to hold back a yawn, it forced its way out of him causing Fjord to chuckle. “Don't laugh. I had an early morning.”

“I know. We'll get you to bed.”

“Thank you, Fjord.”

With another yawn, Caleb buried his face in Fjord's neck and let his eyes fall shut. It wasn't until he felt his body placed on his mattress that he blinked his eyes open to look at Fjord. The other man smiled at him, then tapped at the legs still wrapped around Fjord's waist keeping him pinned there. Once his legs released, Fjord stood up to remove his shirt and turn off the lamp illuminating the room.

“Good night.”

“Good night, Caleb.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos always greatly appreciated. You can find me on Tumblr ([SociallyAwkwardFoxWriter](http://sociallyawkwardfoxwriter.tumblr.com/)) or Twitter ([@AwkFoxy](https://twitter.com/AwkFoxy)).


	12. “I’m spending the rest of my life with you. You can’t argue with me on it.”

“What are you four up to?” Four pairs of eyes turned to look at Caleb, then Fjord pulled him into the chair next to him with a big smile. “Hello there. How many have we had tonight?”

“Just a couple.”

Caleb turned to the one other sober person at the table when it became obvious that Fjord wouldn't be able to answer. “Jester, how much have they had to drink?”

“I don't know. I lost count, but I'm keeping an eye on them. We're playing a game! Did you want to join?”

“What game?”

“It's super easy. We ask each other questions and if we don't want to answer we have to take a drink.”

“As tempting as that sounds, I think I'll sit this one out. I'm just here to help you make sure these three make it to a bed tonight.”

“Okay, but it's a lot of fun you're going to be missing out!”

“I'm sure I'll still have plenty of fun.”

With a shrug of her shoulders, Jester turned to Beau with her tongue poking out of her mouth as she considered her option. Once Jester started up the questions again, the others quickly lost themselves in the game. At some point, Fjord stretched his arm out to rest across Caleb's shoulders and started leaning most of his upper body against him. He rolled his eyes at the man as he placed a hand on Fjord chest to prevent him from sending them both face first into the table.

Caleb should have expected Beau to notice despite the alcohol in her system and decide her next invasive question would deal with their relationship. “Are you and Caleb going to stay together or is this just a fling?”

“Why would you think this is a fling? Do you think Caleb thinks it's a fling?”

“I don't know. It's a fair question to ask.”

“Aren't we passed the point of our relationship being labeled a fling? We've been dating like...” Fjord lifted up a shaking hand to try to count on his fingers, then gave up with an annoyed huff. “A long time.”

“But are you going to last?”

“I want to. That would be the best. Do you think Caleb would want to?”

“Why don't you ask him?”

Fjord's eyes went wide, then he turned to face Caleb so quickly he nearly dragged them both out of their chairs. “Caleb, do you think we'll be together a long time? I want to.”

“If that's what you want, I don't see why it's not a possibility.”

“I’m spending the rest of my life with you. You can’t argue with me on it.”

“Considering how drunk you are I don't think there would be much of a point to arguing.”

“Exactly.” Fjord's face scrunched up for a moment before turning back to the others at the table. “I answered your question. My turn!”

* * *

A low groan against his chest signaled Fjord finally waking up from a heavy alcohol-induced sleep that lasted well into the morning. Knowing Fjord probably had a killer hangover, Caleb reached up a hand to gently rub at his temples to help the headache. Fjord grumbled his thanks against Caleb's chest, then pressed his face further into it. When he let out a chuckle at Fjord's ridiculous behavior, a pained groan followed by a hand reaching up to smack at him encouraged him to stop.

“Sorry.” He whispered softly to avoid aggravating Fjord's headache. “How are you feeling this morning?”

“Let me die in peace.”

“That's a bit dramatic.”

“No, it is. I feel like I'm dying.”

“I can assure you that you're not. You're just hungover.”

After a moment of quiet, Fjord picked his head up just enough to look at Caleb. “Did I do anything embarrassing last night?”

“That depends on how you define embarrassing. You said a few things that some might consider embarrassing, but it wasn't as bad as when you nearly went face first into the table when you stood up. Jester had to carry you upstairs because you couldn't walk.”

“That's definitely embarrassing.”

“If it makes you feel better, she also had to carry Beau to their room because she couldn't walk straight.”

“As long as I'm not the only one making a fool out of myself because I can't handle my liquor, I do feel better.”

“You definitely weren't.” Caleb ran a comforting hand through Fjord's hair earning him a pleased hum. “You did inform me that you would be spending the rest of your life with me and I was not allowed to argue with you.”

With an embarrassed moan, Fjord buried his face so hard against Caleb's chest that his nose made a concerning crunch sound. A laugh rumbled out of his chest as he brushed comforting fingers through Fjord's hair. Despite the awkward angle, Caleb pressed a kiss to the top of Fjord's head that the other man grumbled in response to. Fjord's arms wedged their way under Caleb's body to press himself tighter against him, until he could hardly breath.

“The rest of my life is going to be a lot shorter if you don't loosen up a bit. I think you're crushing my lungs.”

After a few more seconds of clinging to him, Fjord rolled onto his side with one arm still tucked under Caleb. “Can you leave me to die in peace?”

“Stop being dramatic. Let's get some food and coffee in you and you'll feel better.”

“Unless that can erase what I did last night, I don't think it will.”

“I'm sure only Jester and I remember.”

“Jester was there.” Fjord grabbed the pillow closest to him and tried to use it to smother himself. “Fuck me!”

“Why are you acting like this is the end of the world? I don't think either of us were surprised by what you said.”

“I don't think telling you that we're going to stay together the rest of my life whether you like it or not is a good thing to say.”

“We both know that if I wanted to end the relationship, you wouldn't force me to stay in it. It is good to know you prefer it didn't end.”

“Of course, I prefer we stay together! Why wouldn't I?”

“It is good to hear it every now and again.”

Slower than normal, Fjord rolled to hover over Caleb with a serious expression on his face. “I'll be sure to do a better job of reminding you.”

“That may take a lot of reminding.”

“It's a good thing we've got plenty of time for me to remind you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos always greatly appreciated. You can find me on Tumblr ([SociallyAwkwardFoxWriter](http://sociallyawkwardfoxwriter.tumblr.com/)) or Twitter ([@AwkFoxy](https://twitter.com/AwkFoxy)).


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